How Are You?
by white pedal
Summary: Serenity is nearing the end of her first year of high school. A lot has changed over the year, when she gets home she makes a phone call to Joey and they have a talk about life. Sibling cuteness.


_**A story for Autobot, and a story I wanted to write for a long time based on Joey/Serenity, my favorite YGO siblings.**_

 _ **Enjoy:)**_

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 _ **Hello, it's me. I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet,To go over everything. They say that time's supposed to heal ya. But I ain't done much healing.**_

 _ **-Adele, Hello**_

* * *

"Bye Serenity!"

"Takes care Cathy!"

Serenity waved to three of her classmates as she left the school grounds as the evening bell rang.

Serenity Wheeler, age fifteen, was nearing the end of her first year in high school. Summer was rolling by as the warm breeze kicked in and blew Serenity's Auburn hair in the air as the setting sun shun on it, she straightened her skirt as the wind ble it up a bit while holding her school bag and continued walking. She put a piece of her hair behind her ear and started walking home.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang, she reached into her bag to see who was calling, she saw the caller was her mother. She answered.

"Hi mom." Serenity answered.

 _"Hello dear, how was school?"_ Her mother asked on the other line.

"Good," Serenity said, "I just finished, I'm heading home so I can study for the exams."

 _"Right, you do that, I'm just calling you to let you know I'll be home rather late tonight."_

"Really? You have another business meeting?"

 _"I'm afraid so, I know I haven't been home for a while but I've been quite busy-Oh! Ah!"_

Serenity blinked and became worried, "Mom? Are you alright?"

Then Serenity heard a man giggling in the background, along with her mother moaning a bit and heavy breathing in the background. She blinked and became suspicious, until she put the pieces together with eyes wide open and nearly red from embarrassment.

 _"Oh, I'm fine, honey,"_ Mrs. Wheeler breath, " _But anyways I won't be there when you come home."_

"...I see..."

 _"Well, I have to go now, be good dear."_

Her mother hung up and Serenity lowered her phone to her waist, no longer red from embarrassment but her eyes were filled with the same feeling she had for years.

Disappointment.

"...She's out with a man again," she said to herself sadly, "...I should have known."

This was nothing new to Serenity. After her parents divorce her mother had started dating again, for years she would see different men as she grew up, and recently she had been gone for longer days then she did while Serenity was in the hospital. Over the past year she rarely saw her mother at home anymore, while her mother claims it's because of work Serenity knew better.

Her mother started to come home late in the night after Serenity came home from battle city and her eye operation, which meant that Serenity was more alone now. Between being in the hospital and home her mother had to work to make sure the medical bills were paid, of course there are her days off where she never visited Serenity often either. All her mom usually did was get Serenity lunch and leave without telling her, she even missed three of Serenity's birthdays while she was in the hospital. While she was there the night before the operation and in the morning where Serenity would be wheeled off to the operating room, she found out afterwards the during her surgery she left and didn't call her daughter or son.

Since then Serenity and her mother's relationship started to become distant to the point where they don't often seak unless her mother calls her and tells her she won't be home.

As Serenity walked across the bridge, she looked out into the sea as the sun was setting. The sight was breath taking, Serenity was in pure awe.

"..So beautiful..." Serenity said.

Serenity never thought she would be able to see a sunset like this again, a year ago the doctors told her the time had come for her to lose her sight. Everything she wanted in life was going to be taken from her, not only would she lose her sight, she wouldn't be able to go to a normal high school after she graduated Middle school and would have to attend one of those schools for the blind, be on constant watch and depend on other people for the rest of her life. Serenity was scared to death when she recieved the news, but tried to be brave for herself and her mother, and most of all for her beloved brother Joey.

She sent him a video telling him she wanted to see him before she goes blind so she can remember his face despite the darkness she would end up seeing in the future. While she wanted to cry, she was willing to smile throughout the whole ordeal just so Joey can remember the happy sister he has.

Then he did the incredible. He won the prize money so she can get the operation, about a month after he paid the hospital she recieves the surgery and it was a success. And when she took the bandages off, she saw clearly and better for the first time in her life, she could see. No longer did she have to live in fear of seeing darkness for the rest of her life, she was given a second chance to live her life, live her dreams and see her big brother's smile without a blur or seeing nothing but black.

Things turned for the better after she returned home, a few weeks after Battle city when Summer ended, she was able to attend a normal high school when Fall started. She got on the honor roll for her astounding grades, and soon she started making friends in her school like the girls she said goodbye to. She couldn't make any friends during her younger years as she was always incarcerated in the hospital for her illness, but now she's finally getting out and socializing. She was finally living like a normal teenage girl.

And it was all thanks to Joey for making all of this possible.

"...Joey..." Serenity whispered.

She missed him greatly, while they call and email each other often she missed him in person. She missed seeing his sweet brown eyes that have the michievous twinkle in them, that goofy yet kind smile. Her big brother, and best friend.

Serenity felt her heart getting heavy and tears almost flowing down her face, she raced home.

twenty minutes later she opened the door and closed it behind her. After she took her shoes off she went to the phone and dialed it. A few minutes later it was ringing.

Then a familiar voice answered.

 _ **"Hello?"**_ Joey asked.

Serenity smiled, "Hi Joey."

 _ **"Oh hi Serenity! How are you?"**_ Joey happily asked.

"I'm doing good, I getting ready for exams next week," She answered, "though I am nervous about it."

 _ **"Don't worry, sis, you'll pass those exams with flying colors! You'll knock them out of the park. You have the best grades in your entire school, like I always said you have the brains in the family!"**_

Serenity giggled, "You're sweet, and how's the college entrance exams?"

Joey groaned, _**"A total nightmare, Serenity, but I'm gonna get through it,"**_ Joey has a happy tone _ **, "But I'm gonna get through it, I'm going to finish what pops didn't and actually get a college degree and get a great job!"**_

Serenity smiled, "...And I'll be heading to my second year of high school...and it's because you saved me Joey."

 _ **"Huh?"**_ Joey was confused.

"...Because of you getting me the operation I was able to be on the honor roll, to go to a normal high school...to just being able to see. I can see everything better than how I used to, and when the doctor said I was going blind I thought I would have to go to one of those schools for the blind and just be dependent and see nothing but black for the rest of my life. But you got me the surgery, and here I am, I'm no longer confinde in the hospital, going to a normal school, making friends...actually living...I can't thank you enough for that Joey."

Joey was silent on the other line, until she heard him sniff.

"Joey?"

 _ **"N-nothing, I just have something in my eye. But I'm glad you got the operation sis, for as long as I can remember you always shown to have potential and had a bright future, and when I found out you were losing your sight I had to save you. You were so bright and full of life, you being blind would ruin everything you wanted in life, you deserved better, and now here you are! My little sister is heading towards her second year in highschool and will be graduating the year after that!"**_

Serenity smiled. Hearing the pride in Joey's voice made Serenity happy knowing her brother was proud of her like how she's proud of him knowing he is doing well for himself.

 _ **"So how's ma these days?"**_ Joey asked her.

Serenity was silent for a moment. She didn't know what to tell Joey about their mother, she knew Joey and their mother don't see eye to eye since she left him behind after she divorced their father, not that she blamed him, how could their mother leave him like a stranger on the street when he chased the car as a little boy? Of course things weren't going well between her and their mother either since she's been gone all the time since Serenity came back from Domino and barely talk to each other. But she couldn't tell Joey that, he is taking exams for college and she didn't want him and their mom to get into something Serenity's been used since childhood.

"..She's been doing good," Serenity said, "and how's daddy?"

Joey went silent as well. A few seconds later Joey answered.

 _ **"The usual..."**_

Serenity frowned, "...I see..he's still drinking?"

 _ **"Yeah...but I won't have to worry about him for long."**_

Serenity blinked, "Is it because of college?"

 _ **"...Yeah, that."**_

Serenity was suspicious of Joey's behavior, "Joey, are you alright?"

Joey would sigh, _**"Yeah...It's just that I feel guilty for it."**_

Serenity frowned again, "...It's because you tried to help daddy for all these years right?"

 _ **"...I don't know what else to do Serenity. Eversince mom left he's been out of contro, no matter what I did to help him it goes down the drian and he just relapses again..I don't think I can help him anymore at this point, while he's our father...I.."**_

"I know Joey...you have no choice but to let him go." Serenity said.

 _ **"And I still can't forgive for what he said about you when we were kids...that he wanted to kill you."**_ Joey confessed.

Serenity became sad, "Yeah...I remember, he's always hated me."

 _ **"And that made me glad mom got you away from him, and now he's lost me to...AH man we went from talking about being proud of each other to talking about our crappy dad!"**_

Serenity laughed, and Joey did as well, but both siblings were silent.

"...I really miss you big brother."

 _ **"..I miss you to sis."**_

Serenity started thinking, then she got an idea, "Hey! How about I come to Domino for the Summer once I'm done exams?"

Joey was surprised, _**"Really? Are you sure ma will be okay with that?"**_

Serenity smiled, "Well I did come to Domino with professor Hawkins and his granddaughter when you guys returned from Egypt right?"

Joey chuckled, _**"Yes you did, you came all the way there just to welcome us back."**_

"..And to see if he did leave like I thought."

Joey realized what Serenity was talking about. Yami, or Atem as it's his real name, left for teh afterlife. Like all the people Atem met and made friendships with, Serenuty sensed that he left for the afterlife. She even went as far as to pack her bags to leave for Domino to see if it was true, after persuading her mother to let her, Mrs. Wheeler grugingly let her. While Serenity was sad that Atem left, she was glad to know he was finally at peace and was able to see her brother again.

 _ **"And you were right,"**_ Joey said sadly, _**"As much as we wanted him to stay, he spend thousands of years in that puzzle, not remembering who he was and had to fight to get his memories back. We had to let him go so he can be with his family again."**_

Serenity had a sad smile, "You were right to let him, he's now in peace Joey, and he would be so proud of you for what you have accomplished."

 _ **"And he would be glad to know you're doing good yourself, Serenity."**_

Serenity smiled, "I'll see you soon brother, good luck on your exams."

 _ **"Good luck to you to sis."**_

"I love you."

 _ **"Love you to."**_

Serenity hung up, and had a smile on her face.

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 _ **R &R**_


End file.
